FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Feb 4, 2020
PHOENIX, State Capitol - Arizona food banks would be better able to coordinate and prepare for food delivery and storage under a bipartisan bill introduced today, Arizona Food Bank Day, by Rep. Andrés Cano, D-Tucson.
HB2780 appropriates a one-time investment of $475,000 to help the Arizona Food Bank Network cope with the increased costs for food storage and delivery due to ongoing, unresolved trade negotiations in Washington, D.C. The bill also proposes adding an additional $260,000 a year for coordinated food assistance supporting low-income families and individuals statewide.
"No Arizonan should go to sleep hungry, and no food supply should go to waste," Cano said. "This bill allows our state to better plan for the flow of produce, dairy, and protein to the families who need help most."
In 2019, the Arizona Food Bank Network distributed more than 182 million pounds of food; nearly 40 percent of it was fresh produce. The organization coordinates logistics with the national food bank network in the times of excess, reducing waste and ensuring prompt delivery of means to 460,000 Arizonans each month.